While the deisgn of the new 3 Series in beautiful, the new design is very vulnerable to parking lot dings. This is espcially true due to the raised cornice metal cornice that runs the length of the vehicle. Unlike the 2005 and older models, there is no guard strip to prevent door dings and the cornice takes full impact of a parking lot door ding. I recently has $800 worth of damage done to the drivers door in a parking lot. What I recommend is a product called Door Defenders. I found these on the net. They are long, tubular cushions that attach magnetically to the car and protect the doors. I bought a pair and intend to use them to prevent another such mishap. You can find them on the Internet.